Bushing for steering columns



July 19,1927. 4 1,636,528

F. C. MORRIS BUsHING'Fo'R STEERING COLUMNS Filed 00u11. 1922 mmg - steering whe-el is 'connected rotates.

Patented July 19, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BUSHING FOR STEERING COLUMNS.

Applicatibn led October 11 This invention relates to a rubber covered metal bushing, the object of which is to provide means to prevent end play and rattling inl the main shaft of the Steering ap- 5 parat-us of an automobile.

It will be understood by those skilled inv the art that the steering wheel of an automobile is secured to a tubular shaft, which shaft passes through a tube commonly known as the steering column.

'This steering column is ordinarily fastened to some rigid part of the automobile and contains a bushing of one kind or another in which the shaft to which the v It is difficult. to prevent this shaft from rattling because of the wear on the bushing through which it passes, and it is difficult to prevent it from havingl more or less end play at the top, whichcondition. however,

is relieved by the application of this bushl(rnother object of this invention is to provide a rubber cover for the wearing part of the bushing which will enable the shaft to be held without rattling by compressing the ends" of the rubber covering against 'the shaft and forcing it tightly into the tube or bearing carrying it. j i Other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.'

' An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which the vSame reference numeral is applied to the same ortion throughout, but I am aware that tiere may be modifications thereof.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a steering column, with portions thereof broken away for the purposes of illustration, showing the 40 application of one of thesebushings at the topi of the steering column, and another at Ithe bottom. v l f' Fig. 2 is an end view of the bushing, Fig. 3 isa longitudinal sectional view vof the apparatus,

-Fig. 4 is a lan view of the washer used in connection t erewith, and i Fig. 5 is an edge view of one uof said washers.

' The steering column consists of a suitably heavy tube 1. This tube ordinarily has a metallic bearing 2 pla-ced at its upper end to hold the steering shaft 3 in the proper lace.

p The nut 5 secures the steering wheel 6 to f the upper end of the shaft 3.

, 1922. serial No. 593,863.

With the present invention a metal tube 7 is provided. This tube is completely covered with a body of solid rubber` made of a' i vspecially elastic and oil resisting material,

.taken out of the car, but the steering wheel is simply removed and the bearing 2 is forced down low enough in the'steering column to receive the bushing 8, two of the washers and the hub 13 of the steering wheel.

Since the shaft 3 and tube 1 are fixed by (ill the steering apparatus in a given position If the bushing iskinstalled in steering column at the factory, it will be of course, unnecessary to use the bearing 2 because the tube 7 is sufficiently heavy to withstandl all the wear given it by the rotation of the shaft 3. v

In the event that the bushing or the washers 9 wear loose after considerable use, all that is necessary to tighten them up is to take off the steering wheel and add another washer 9 on top of the bushing, whereupon the bushing will be. again 4spread out when tllle steering wheel nut 5 .is screwed 'into p ace.

The outer tube of the steering gear assembly is ordinarily known in the automobile industry as the mass-jacket, and this bush-l ing is technically known as a mass-jacket bushing.

What I claim is as follows, but various modifications may be made-in thel construction shown in the drawings and above particularly described form, within the purview of my invention,

' and a rub er covering therefor, said rubber covering projecting beyond the ends. of the y tube whereby the rubber magT be compressed against the shaft to prevent rattling. 1 2. yIn a steering gear the combination with a stationa tubular column and a revoluble stem "therein of a metal bushing forming a bearing for said stem, said bea-ring being covered on the outside and ends with a. rubber body to hold itin a given place in said stationary column. v

3. 'A device of the class described com prisingv the combination with a. stationary tubular columnand a rotatablestemtheres in of a metal bushinglforming a. bearing for said rotatable stem, said bushingr hav-ing a rubber covering for its ends and its side, the rubber engaging the rotatable fstem at the ends of the metal bushing.

4. A device. of the class described comprising the combination with a stationary tubular column and a rotatable stem therein of a bushingforming a bearing for said rotatable stem within the column, sid bushing being su ported in axed position within the tubu ar column by a. resilient and yieldable material covering the sides and ends of 'said bushing.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 2nd day of October, A. D.,

FRED C. MORRIS. 

